


Holiday Spirits

by jelliojello



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Bottom Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Chrismas shenanigans, Emotionally Constipated Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Fingering, Jihoon trying out kids' pranks, M/M, Top Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups, Wise Mingyu giving out love and budget advice, very vanilla smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 16:05:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12062406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jelliojello/pseuds/jelliojello
Summary: Seungcheol's front garden keeps on changing from time to time, from a willow forest of red paper hearts for Valentine's day to the giant sparkly Earth globe on Earth's Day, and every holiday it seems like half of the city will come over to marvel Seungcheol's masterpiece. Jihoon reckons Seungcheol loves the attention as much as he loves the holidays, because there hasn't been a single public holiday that he hasn't decorated his front yard to perfection.In which Seungcheol takes it as his personal mission to over-decorate every public holiday possible and Jihoon is forced to endure his shenanigans until a certain snowman arrives.





	Holiday Spirits

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Havokftw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Havokftw/gifts).



On the morning of the 19th of December, Jihoon wakes up to a numbing headache that seems to have everything to do with the rumbling of drillers and wood cutter outside his window. The clock next to him reads a bright 8:37, its neon light blinking in mockery. The world slows for a second as Jihoon takes in his surrounding with a cotton-filled mind. The buzzing of wood cutter outside had stopped a few seconds ago- thank the Lord, but as Jihoon pulls the blanket over his face the vibration starts again, this time even louder than before. Seriously, what does a man have to do around here to get a decent sleep?

The hot shower wakes Jihoon up from his stupor, but it doesn’t do much to dampen his annoyance. Without even looking outside he could tell that his neighbor is up to something again, especially with Chrismas fast approaching. The man had moved into the house next door a year ago, yet the knowledge Jihoon has of him is limited to what a chef knows about the mechanic of a car. From the quick conversations with the lovely old lady in the bakery around the corner and from Mingyu’s occasional comments, Jihoon knows that his neighbor's name is Choi Seungcheol, he is in his late twenties and is a university lecturer for the most of the time. Mingyu had been pretty pumped when he hinted the ‘most of the time’ part, but Jihoon wouldn’t be himself if he had indulged the giant puppy’s antics by showing interest. Jihoon knows from experience that Seungcheol is taller than him (“Not many aren’t." was what Mingyu had said before Jihoon kicked him out of the house), that the elders around the street think he is a sweetheart while the younger ones swoon over his look.

They certainly haven't got to know each other enough for Jihoon to form any subjective opinions of Seungcheol, but the only thing Jihoon knows for sure is that he doesn't enjoy the man's passion for holiday decoration.

Last year's Halloween, Seungcheol was a fresh face dropped in a tight-knitted community in which everyone knew everyone and even their cousins. Mingyu droned on and on about how friendly he was every time he brought over new projects, which was normal because Mingyu had the energy of a well-lived puppy and nobody seemed to be able to resist his boyish charm. One day, though, Mingyu had barreled into his studio, tugging Jihoon out mid-recording to his living room; Jihoon could remember vividly the irritation that morphed into horror as he stared out of his window to a sea of intricately placed mummies, glowing pumpkin lanterns and a freakish bloodied doll that stared back straight into his living room. 

But it wasn’t the decoration that got Jihoon loosing sleep over, it was the fact that even after three days the flock of people that came to Seungcheol's garden still refused to diminish. The final straw was when one kid crashed Jihoon's flower pot in his haste to get away from the electric lanterns; Jihoon had treasured those lilacs as if they were his musical children. He had slipped a note through his neighbor's door, politely and gracefully asking for the guy to tone it down a little, he did not want people stepping on his pristine mat and his delicate flowers. His apology came the next morning as a letter and a lantern full of candies- "I'm sorry for the flower pot, will try to make people stop coming over to your house! -Seungcheol". And he didn't know how Seungcheol managed it, but his doorstep was void of a single soul the days after that. And Jihoon would have let it go if only the man would stop after the Halloween fiasco. But Seungcheol's front garden keeps on changing from time to time, from a willow forest of red paper hearts for Valentine's day to the giant sparkly Earth globe on Earth's Day, and every holiday it seems like half of the city will come over to marvel Seungcheol's masterpiece. Jihoon reckons Seungcheol loves the attention as much as he loves the holidays, because there hasn't been a single public holiday that he hasn't decorated his front yard to perfection.

Which is why Jihoon isn't surprised to see half of what seems to be a giant snowman already built outside his window, taking up a third of his view a couple of days before Christmas. By now Jihoon is used to the extravagant design, so he settles with closing the blind and moves back to his studio. He has better things to do with his time than watching his neighbor fulfilling every kid's fantasy. Besides, last year Chrismas wasn't all that bad. Somewhat loud, yes, and Jihoon still hates Jingle Bells to this day, but he did manage to endure the man throughout all holidays within a year with little difficulty. Nothing he hasn't seen before. What else could go wrong?

 

 

The next day, Jihoon finds out that he has yet to see every trick up his neighbor's sleeve. The snowman is extravagant as always, from its polished woody arms held up in the air to its bright red and green scarf that loops carefully above endless crisscrossing strings of fairy lights. It looks like an ordinary, though oversized and very bright, snowman, except for its hat that is a clear plastic dome containing a rotating light beacon. Jihoon was preparing coffee in his kitchen when the hat flashed for the first time, and the sudden flood of lights was bright enough for him to almost dropped the porcelain cup. And the worst thing? The lights would flash every. 15. minutes.

Fuck Chrismas. And fuck his neighbor too.

"If it bothers you so much, why don't you just tell Seungcheol to knock it off?" Wonwoo says over the phone, and Jihoon resists the urge to scoff at the man's name. Even his name sounds stupid now. Also, when did Wonwoo and his neighbor get to first name basis? Jihoon still addresses him as 'the neighbor' even though he moved in a year ago.

"It is not just about the lights! People are all over his house now, taking pictures and letting their children play around there. Even if the light is gone, they just won't go away" Jihoon says piteously while he paces around the living room and the kitchen, glaring openly through his window at curious parents. 

"You can tell them to quiet down?"

"You can't ask a tree to stop photosynthesizing, Wonwoo. They are children. They are bounded to be loud. I can't ask kids to shut the fuck up, and they're technically not even in my properties!" The beacon flashes once again, in bright orange this time and joyful screeches bleed through the walls. Jihoon feels a blood vessel in his head pop. "Fucking hell. You know what, I'll come over there now. I'll catch you later."

"Alright. You still up for tonight?"

"Yeah, of course. I'll order us some food, and Mingyu said he already had a movie in mind."

"Cool. See you tonight then. Don't kill anyone!"

Jihoon throws his phone on the couch, grabs his coat and marches outside in outrage. The children playing jump as he slams his door closed while some parents silently stare at him, eyes wide as he discards their mellow 'Hi's and 'How are you doing's in flavor to walk straight to Seungcheol's door. The man in question shows up after the fifth impatient knock, and everything Jihoon supposes to say flies out of his head.

He could understand why people around the street swoon over Seungcheol. Jihoon knows he is taller than him, but the man is truly built like a Greek God- broad shoulders that stretch nicely over the thin fabric of his jumper, long legs that last for days and his thighs. Jihoon is suddenly overcome with the urge to wrap himself around Seungcheol's thighs and cuddle it to sleep. If it is summer, he might want to jump in for a swim on Seungcheol's collar bones too.

"Hi, do you need anything?" Mr.GreekGod says, and Jihoon belatedly realizes he has been ogling over the man for at least a full minute now. Great, Seungkwan would have a blast if he knows it. Jihoon can hear the shrill voice already in his mind: 'I know your social skills are bad, Jihoon, but that was borderline creepy.' "Hello?"

"I'm your neighbor." Seungcheol looks as confused as ever and it's ridiculous that all Jihoon could think of is how fucking handsome he is. "I live next door."

Jihoon blames his idiocy on Seungcheol's face. He isn't usually this much of a fool. 

"Yes..?"

The light flashes again at the exact moment Seungcheol tilts his head to the side, golden lights dancing on the side of his face and Jihoon mourns at how unfairly beautiful his neighbor is. But it also reminds Jihoon of his predicament, so he jumps at the opportunity.

"This! This is what I want to talk about. Your snowman is an absolute nuisance! I never said anything about your previous holiday shenanigans, but this is too much. That stupid beacon of yours keep on blinding my entire fucking living room and kitchen, and I can't do shit in it because it just won't stop flashing!"

Seungcheol raises a delicate eyebrow after Jihoon is done with his little speech. He doesn't say anything for a while, considering Jihoon with calculating eyes.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" He finally says, though it isn't precisely what Jihoon expects to hear.

"I want you to turn it the fuck off, what else?" Jihoon is vaguely aware that there are parents ready to throw sticks at him for cursing so much in front of their little impressionable devils, but he honestly could not care less. Not when Seungcheol crosses his arm and leans into his personal space like this.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that." Seungcheol replies, plain and straightforward. Despite his cold way of speech, he does look a little contemplative and guilty. "I could dim the lights down a little bit if you want? I can also set more time between the flashes too, that's all that I can do."

"How about you take down the damn thing then, and we wouldn't be having this problem. Just because people adore you doesn't mean you can do everything by your own will, Seungcheol."

"I'm sorry, Mr.."

"It's Jihoon, Lee Jihoon. And I'm not here for your apologies. Just fix this, okay?"

And with that, Jihoon turns and walks back to his house, leaving behind parents' flabagast faces and missing Seungcheol surprised yet amused grin.

 

 

"I still don't know why you're so up in the air about it, Jihoon. It's not like you can see much when you pull the curtain all the way down anyway." Wonwoo says when Jihoon grumbles to them about Seungcheol's ridiculous snowman over their scheduled movie hang out night. Mingyu nods around his mouth full of noodles, making Wonwoo scrunches his nose in disgust and throws a paper towel at his face. 

Jihoon sighs and wills himself to not stomp his feet like an insolent child. "Well, I shouldn't have to pull down my curtain because of him. What if I want to watch my surrounding? What if I want some actual sunlight in this house?"

"But you never do," Mingyu calls out weakly, sinking further into his seat when Jihoon throws him a heated look. "I'm just telling the truth. You hate people looking into your house. You only ever open your curtain when it's storming or snowing. It sounds to me like you don't like him."

And that is the thing. It is not like Jihoon hates the man. On the contrary, he thinks he might like Seungcheol a bit too much and a little too different for a normal, platonic neighbor-relationship. He thinks about Choi Seungcheol, about his body that is built to be worshipped, about the sharp lines of his jaw and his fluttering eyelashes, about the way he has smiled at Jihoon oh so patiently when Jihoon blows up on his face. About the guilty looks but straightforward attitude. The only way Jihoon could hate him is if hatred came in the form of wanting to take him out, either to a nice restaurant to see more of those smiles or to HongKong, he doesn't mind both. He shoves the idea to the farther corner of his mind, however, and chows down on the cold noodles. "I don't hate him. I hate his entire front yard every holiday season. There's a difference."

"But what are you going to do now that he says he isn't going to take the lights down?" Wonwoo asks.

"Well." Jihoon says ominously "You guys will know soon."

 

 

They end up watching the new horror movie that Mingyu insisted on seeing, one about a terrifyingly designed clown and screaming children.

"Why don't they just burn the house down" Mingyu whimpers as the kids in the movie walk straight into what they suspect is the clown's lair. "Wouldn't that be easier? Why do they think that going in there all by themselves is a good idea??" He plasters himself even closer to Jihoon, trembling fingers tight around his arm.

"Because they are kids, MingDumb. Now shush." Wonwoo says in his position behind Jihoon's head, using his hair as a shield.

While his two friends are immersed in the movie, Jihoon has his mind locked on the commotion outside of his window. He could hear the pitter patter of more children, running around, playing in Seungcheol's fake snow. His plan is going swimmingly, he snickers in his mind. Leaning back to sooth a frozen Mingyu, Jihoon quietly pulls out his phone and presses the play button.

A shrill scream cut through the air, accompanied by evil, wicked laughter and the hysterical screams of children, and Jihoon can't help to crackle out loud. Mingyu and Wonwoo jump from their places, looking around frantically before turning to Jihoon's slumped form.

"Wh-What is going on?" Wonwoo says fearfully as the shrill screams continue to echo outside, sounding louder and louder until it comes to a complete stop. He sends cautious looks to Mingyu, side-eyeing Jihoon who is still laughing uncontrollably.

"It's nothing, guys. Though I would suggest you pause the movie for a minute, we're about to have a guest over."

And true enough, minutes later there are two loud knocks on Jihoon's door. Jihoon brings a hand to smooth down the wrinkles on his shirt from the incessant laughter and answers the door with his best novel smile.

"Oh, Seungcheol. How can I help you on this fine afternoon?"

Seungcheol has a mask of calmness over his features. There's a flash of something in his eyes as they rake across Jihoon's whole attire- tousled hair, petite form drapes in an oversized jumper that shifts to reveal a part of his shoulder line and loose gray pants, before they hardened into faint irritation. He lifts his hand to show a little blue cube- Jihoon's spare Bluetooth speaker.

"This is yours." It isn't a question, the way Seungcheol says it. He doesn't make any move to give it back, instead opting to keep his eyes firmly on Jihoon's.

"What is?" Jihoon feigns innocence, just because he could.

"This speaker."

"No, it's not."

"I know it's yours."

"Why do you think it's mine?" It _is_ his. Jihoon even left a clue there for Seungcheol on purpose. He knows Seungcheol has caught onto his little game by now, but it isn't a part of his plan to admit this yet.

"Because it has your initials on it. LJH. Lee Jihoon. Do you think that I'm an idiot?" Seungcheol says harshly, though he doesn't look angry. He lets out an audible sigh as Jihoon remains silent. "Why did you do it? Is it because I didn't take down the lights?"

"You have no proof that I did it, though? LJH can be anybody. Lee Jang Han. Love Jam Hamburger." Seungcheol raises a judging eyebrow at this, and even Jihoon has to admit the names he improvised makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. But he is nothing if not stubborn, so Jihoon crosses his arm and straightens his back. "My point is, you can't say it's me just because it looks similar to my name. And it's not mine."

Seungcheol is getting upset, Jihoon can tell by the thinning of his lips and the slight pulled in his eyebrows. He looks devilishly handsome like this, Jihoon thinks, and the brooding look Seungcheol pints him with is making his legs shake with jitters. He pretends to lean to the side of the door frame, a suave little move if not for how his foot slips and he almost bashes his head on the hinges. Fuck being suave. Seungcheol doesn't seem to take notice of his mistake, however, as he is busying observing the speaker. Jihoon is about to declare his victory- not by admitting the speaker is his, naturally, but by slamming the door to Seungcheol's handsome face, when the man presses a few buttons on the damned cube and horrendously loud screeches start to pour out.

Jihoon hears his friends and himself yelp before he could register what is going on. He looks up to Seungcheol's smug face, bewilderment evident in his voice. "What are you doing? Turn it off, will you!"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Jihoon could see a door opening, and Mr. Kim head peaks out most likely to gauge what the loud noises are about. Disorientated from the constant screams, Jihoon jumps up to the speaker only to loses his footing and falls onto Seungcheol's muscular chest. Seungcheol smells of fabric softeners and freshly cut wood. Jihoon amuses the thought of cuddling with him, as warm and solid as he is, before realizing that Seungcheol has one of his hand on Jihoon's waist. He jerks out of the man's hold, fixing him the angriest glare Jihoon could muster in his flustered state. Seungcheol, the bastard, moves backwards so he is just outside of Jihoon's doorway, and with the swift flick of his wrist, the bastard throws the speaker onto Jihoon's roof.

"Oh, what horrible aim. I was honestly trying to pull a basketball shot, you see, to give you the speaker back in style. How will we get it back now?" Seungcheol's voice is infuriatingly sweet. Jihoon wants to strangle the man. "Do you have a ladder so I can take it down?"

"I don't." Jihoon grits through his teeth. "Why don't you take yours?"

"I broke my ladder earlier today. How unfortunate. We will have to wait for the speaker to die out, I guess. It's a shame that the owner of this speaker is not here to turn it off. I should be going now, thanks for your time!"

And Seungcheol, that asshole, dares to wink at Jihoon before he leaves. Jihoon walks into the house and turns off the damned audio before someone calls the police on him, fuming at Seungcheol's infuriating smile. Mingyu doesn't stop laughing when Jihoon catches them up on his attempt to take revenge by scaring the children thus destroying Seungcheol's reputation, even as Jihoon hurls a pillow at his face. Wonwoo chuckles but ushers them back to the movies.

"Just deal with it for a couple more days, Jihoon." Wonwoo says before he and Mingyu return home. "Meet you at Mingyu's party on Sunday?"

"Yeah, sure. Drive back safely okay?"

"We will!" Mingyu shouts from within his car parked on the other side of the street, earning a whack on the head in courtesy of Wonwoo for disrupting the neighborhood.

"Bye, Jihoon."

As Jihoon turns to get back into the warmth of his house, he catches the sight of his blue speaker next to the flower pot with a sticky note attached.

"Better luck next time, neighbor. -Choi Seungcheol".

Needless to say, he goes to bed that night with the thought of his neighbor's Chrismas themed sticky notes, his cute smile and a turbulence of strange emotions in his chest.

 

 

The next couple of days are spent with Jihoon planning tricks and nicks to sabotage Seungcheol's children paradise, and Seungcheol countering every single one of them. Seungcheol had dimmed the light considerably, so Jihoon decides as a token of appreciation to not go overboard and destroys the decorations he knows Seungcheol had put hard work on- but Jihoon still gets the sudden urge here and there to wipe the man's cocky smirk off his naturally born flawless face. Preferably with his hand. Or his mouth. But that's enough of that.

 

 

On the 21st, Jihoon sets out to buy loads of cotton balls and a box full of Legos. He dutifully stuffs the tiny pieces in the cotton balls and sprinkles them on Seungcheol's doorstep. They blend right in with the fake snow Seungcheol had, and Jihoon's morning is made hearing Seungcheol sputtering pained curses that would have brought a seasoned sailor to shame.

Seungcheol calls in from work after that, and by the afternoon he has invited over a dozen of children from the nearby preschool, giving them 'home-made snowballs' and organizing a snowball fight champion league. Jihoon scoffs at his pathetic attempt to rile Jihoon up. He had dealt with loud kids before, an extra one or two wouldn't make a difference.

Or so he thought, until his doorbell rings and Jihoon comes to face with an array of starry-eyed children and their unison chorus asking for his help to be their 'monster boss' for their tournament, in courtesy of their referee Seungcheol's suggestion.

And that is how Lee Jihoon, 27 years of age, a well known and respected music producer, is reduced to nothing but a boss monster for children from the age of 6 to 7. He isn't even allowed to fight back, only able to run around catching children until the snowball runs out. A little girl named Yoojung ends up victorious, and while Jihoon enjoys the hugs and kisses from the kids, he is also frozen to the bones while his arch enemy remains dry and warm.

While Jihoon is busy pouting down at his wet attire, Seungcheol has somehow managed to come over to his side with two cups of hot chocolate in hand. Jihoon agrees with his offer to stay for the drink- he convinces the little voice in his mind that it's all for the free drink and warmth, and not for the proud smile Seungcheol has when he nods yes.

Seungcheol house is surprisingly simple for someone with such wild taste in outdoor decoration, Jihoon muses to himself. Unlike Jihoon's place, Seungcheol's house is a two-story building, with the first floor comprises of his garden, a garage, a spacious living room and kitchen. Seungcheol, as the gentleman Jihoon has expected him to be, gives him a new hoodie to change into. It smells just like him on the other night, a faint scent of fabric softeners and wood.

Seungcheol is good at conversation. He speaks with a melody in his mind, words flowing easily as he recites little anecdotes of the funny experience he has teaching in his university. He listens to Jihoon's rambling about music with honest interest in his gaze, nods at the right time so Jihoon knows he is still listening. Though he doesn't know much about music production, Seungcheol has a sensible taste in music, and he shows it through witty but surprisingly insightful comments.

Jihoon really should stop being surprised by how amazing Seungcheol is. It's getting a bit repetitive now.

When Jihoon finally leaves Seungcheol's house, there is a warmth curling in his stomach that Jihoon isn't quite sure how to make off. He likes to think it is from the extra layer he has on and not the comfort Seungcheol's scent brings. The bubble of heat doesn't disappear, not even when Jihoon drifts to sleep with the smell of Seungcheol lingering around him.

 

 

On the 22nd, Jihoon wears a snowman costume to chase an oblivious, groggy Seungcheol down the street. He has everything video taped, and with the power of the computer Jihoon has created a one-hour-long video of Seungcheol screaming bloody murders and running down the street; one that he uses to project onto the side of Seungcheol's garage. In a strike of petty Jihoon also brings up his blue speaker, and for an hour many people drop by his house, inquiring about the horrified screams which Jihoon only replies with shrugs and giggles.

Seungcheol, after the scare, starts to turn all his lights back on again, this time with an even brighter intensity. He couples the light with two hours of Chrismas medley, and by the end of it all Jihoon thinks he has learned enough Chrismas songs to last him a life time.

He also learns that Seungcheol has an amazing voice, better than many trainees Jihoon has met in his career. As if Jihoon doesn't have enough reasons to admire him already.

 

 

On the 23rd of December, Jihoon finds himself awake at 6 in the morning, contemplating his feelings for a certain Choi Seungcheol. 

Before anything, Jihoon would like to acknowledge that despite all the things he had done to Seungcheol over the last couple of days, he is well aware of his attraction to the man called Choi Seungcheol. Be it a physical or emotional attraction or both; he is not sure. But is he going to do anything about it? The answer is most likely no.

Seungcheol is different from his usual flings. Not that Jihoon has many flings in the past, but most of his relationships end up wilting before the second month anniversary. The nature of his work and his personalities make it hard for Jihoon to find, well, The One. Call him a hopeless romantic or whatever, Jihoon believes in that special connection, one between two harmonious souls where words become redundant for their relationship. It sounds like an ideology, a wistful dream for the lost and lonely; but it is what keeps the pen in Jihoon's fingers moving, it is what keeps his heart and mind full of melodies, so Jihoon is content. He is content with waiting, with drowning in the lonely nights, with walking through fire even if there's only a small chance that on the other side is the happy ending he is looking for.

Which is exactly why Seungcheol scares him. Because on the morning of the 23rd of December, Jihoon wakes up thinking about Seungcheol first, and not his usual cup of horribly expensive but fantastic coffee. He doesn't think of how to make Seungcheol's life miserable, but he wonders whether Seungcheol has woken up or not, whether he would be having his distasteful hot chocolate for breakfast even after Jihoon warned him about the foreboding diabetes he would eventually have. He wakes up to the feeling of wanting to see Seungcheol instead of his precious polar bear stuff animal, and Jihoon knows by then that he is screwed.

Because nobody ever makes Jihoon feels like this.

It is funny how he could yearn for something for so long, yet when he has a chance to reach for it Jihoon suddenly feels sick to the stomach.

So Jihoon does what he do best. He starts to avoid Seungcheol with all his might. After all, he has spent a year not knowing Seungcheol before. How difficult could it be, avoiding someone you've only know for four days?

 

 

The answer is very, if the person you are avoiding is as stubborn and dense as a mule. In other words, if that person is called Choi Seungcheol.

It takes actively avoiding going to the kitchen, living room and outside for Jihoon to completely block Seungcheol out of his mind. Jihoon realizes quite belatedly that for a man he only knows for four days, Seungcheol has made himself a noticeable slot in Jihoon's daily life.

The man is outside of his window when Jihoon wakes up, waving enthusiastically for Jihoon to see his newest masterpieces, undoubtedly the new giant gift boxes covered in colorful wrapping paper. Jihoon waves back and retreats to his studio, not before catching a glimpse of the quick fall in Seungcheol's grin. Guilt grips his heart like a visible hand in his chest. Jihoon clenches his teeth and shrugs the feeling away.

By lunch, Jihoon has to stop himself from going outside to water his lilacs. For the last two days, everytime Jihoon watered the flowers he would see Seungcheol in the front yard, either fixing some things with the snowman or creating new things. His lilacs can wait for a day. After Chrismas, Seungcheol would have no reason to stay outside in the cold weather for too long anyway.

When dinner rolls around, Jihoon sneaks out of his room, draws in the blinds as quickly as he could before he settles down to eat. It feels a little bit ridiculous, sneaking around his house like a thief. But it is all for a good cause.

Jihoon doesn't think he is ready for a relationship. Doesn't think he is willing to think of Seungcheol, of being with him, of having him and losing him.

 

 

On the 24th of December, Jihoon spends the whole day in Mingyu and Wonwoo's shared apartment, checking the music, mixing drinks, blowing up balloons and telling them his dilemma after a bottle of beer and a half.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you guys this." He says, scowling at Mingyu's dingy balloon pump. "I'm not even half-way tipsy yet."

Mingyu contemplates it for a few seconds before he turns to Jihoon with an entirely random question. "Remember how you always ask about my ability to not overspend on unnecessary stuff? There's a trick on that. Take for example; a new balloon pump would cost me around 5 dollars. When I debate about whether or not I should buy it, I'd put the pump on one palm and put the 5 dollar bill on another. I'll have a look at them, switch them around, and whichever side I feel more inclined to keep I'll keep it. It stops me from overspending, but it also helps me realizes what I find important."

"What does it have to do with Jihoon's love life though?" Wonwoo calls from the other side of the room, intrigued. Mingyu shrugs, looking down onto the string of glitter letters.

"I just think that Jihoon overthinks this a lot, but they are all in his head. He is afraid of being rejected and heartbreaks, but it doesn't have to be all that. His choices at this moment are 'Heart breaks' or 'Safety.' But what if he considers his options as 'Equal chances of having a heartbreak or finding true love' and 'Unsatisfying safety'?" He looks up to Jihoon then, eyes shrouded by a veil of sadness, and when he speaks, it doesn't sound like he's talking to Jihoon only. "I didn't need the balloon pump in the end, but how would I know so if I was afraid to spend my money in the first place? When you are afraid of either result, there will be bias in your judgment. You're scared of the heartbreaks and rejections, so you're not giving both him and yourself a chance to experience what could have been. Time heals all wounds, Jihoon. But it could also take away your only chance of happiness if you don't hold onto the opportunities you are given."

They all into a complete silence after that, each to their own world. Jihoon knows Mingyu can be very serious and perceptive at times, but the words he said were too close to Jihoon's fear. When Wonwoo excuses himself from the room to answer a call, Jihoon asks without looking up from the stack of balloons.

"Was that from personal experience, Gyu?"

Mingyu doesn't answer him for a while. Jihoon is about to apologize when he finally responds, tone soft and reminiscence. "Yeah, that's right."

"Do you want to talk about it later?"

"Not this year." Mingyu says with a small smile. "You should resolve your problem first. I'll tell you about it later."

"I will." Jihoon promises.

 

 

Saying something and doing it are two very different problems. Jihoon nurses his empty cup as he navigates across the crowd, determined to get more alcohol before everyone else does. After his conversation with Mingyu, Jihoon has decided to stop avoiding Seungcheol and face his emotions like an adult. The only trouble is he still feels like puking his guts out when he thinks about meeting Seungcheol with all these new information. So the only reasonable solution? He will drink himself to oblivion tonight, and that will at least stop him from chickening out an hour into his resolution.

That is if he could reach the freaking alcohol stand without getting squished into a doormat. Just as he is about to punch an intoxicated man for the hand he has on Jihoon's ass, a strong arm curls itself around his waist, lifting him up and away from the hurdle of wandering hands. Jihoon lets out the sigh he has been holding for a few minutes now and turns to thank his mysterious saver, only to come face to face with the object of his infatuation.

"Seungcheol?" He stammers. Jihoon could swear he hasn't been drinking all that much, at least not to the point of hallucination like this. But how is it possible for Seungcheol to be here, in his friends' party? "Are you really Seungcheol?"

Seungcheol-look-a-like suddenly looks a lot more alert. He bends down to meet Jihoon's eyes, hands flying to grasp his cheeks.

"Jihoon, can you hear me? Are you drunk? Did you take any drinks from strangers?"

Had Jihoon been in his right mind at that time, he would have pointed out to Seungcheol he could hear him just fine, that he has only had a two cups of beer and a shot of whiskey, and he knows better than to take drinks from strangers.

But sometimes for the stressed and surprised brain, alcohol can quickly take over. So Jihoon giggles and leans onto Seungcheol's open arms, reveling in the confused but tight embrace. He would blame it on the shot if things go south, but hopefully, certain _things_ would point north and Jihoon wouldn't have to make up excuses. "I'm not drunk, Cheol. Just a bit tired though. They squished me like a pancake in there!" And to emphasize his words, Jihoon brings two hands to Seungcheol's cheeks and presses them together gently. "Squish, squish."

His skin feels hot under Jihoon's colder hands, and when Seungcheol bursts into laughter Jihoon could feel the deep rumbling of his chest through his forearm.

"What are you doing here, Cheol?"

"Well, Wonwoo is actually friend with my best friends, Jeonghan and Jisoo, so when he invited them they asked if I could come along and he said yes. I've been roaming around by myself aimlessly for about fifteen minutes though. The little shits left me to fend for myself. What about you?" Even as Jihoon moves away from him, Seungcheol keeps a hand around his waist, thumb stroking idly on the small span of skin exposed by Jihoon's hitched up shirt. Seungcheol fixes his shirt eventually, though his hand remains unmoved.

"I'm here as one of the party organisers. I provided the music and drinks they are all getting wasted on."

Jihoon tries to focus on what he wants to say, but Seungcheol looks sinfully delectable under the poorly lit lights Mingyu intentionally brought to mimic a club's atmosphere. He looks even sharper than normal, doe eyes lined with thin black kohl, slightly smudged to give him that ruffled, devilish edge. Seungcheol is wearing a thin layer of lip gloss and Jihoon's mind jumps to the most unholy images he has ever conjured in public. Jihoon imagines himself all over Seungcheol's body, leaving tiny marks along the smooth cheeks and jawline; him licking the lip gloss off Seungcheol's lips, him making Seungcheol's lips shiny with another thing that is neither a tube of gloss nor his mouth. 

"-so do you want to get out of here? Hello?"

Jihoon is pulled back to reality when Seungcheol snaps his fingers in front of his face. Speaking of fingers. Seungcheol does have very nice fingers too.

"What?"

"I just said, do you want to get out of here? I don't think this is your type of crowd anyway. Your friends would understand if I steal you for a while, right?"

And it's unfair, really. How does Seungcheol expect him to say no with a smile like that? He would pay to see people trying to say no to that face. It's like kicking a puppy in the face- impossible to imagine.

"Okay."

 

 

Jihoon finds himself inviting Seungcheol to his house when they get into Seungcheol's car. He prides himself on not stuttering throughout that whole sentence, but it is when they are both situated on his couch that Jihoon starts to feel sweat breaking out on the back of his neck. Seungcheol seems to notice this too, as he suddenly reaches out to take Jihoon's hand to his. When he speaks, it's in the softest voice that Jihoon has ever heard from him, full of fondness and affection.

"If this is going too fast for you, I completely understand." He says, quiet understanding evident in his eyes. "I just want to say that I think I like you, and I want to get to know you more. If you would give me a chance.".

Jihoon could make out the flush of colors high on Seungcheol's cheeks. His neighbor is blushing. While asking him out. Had he drank a little more, Jihoon would have cried. He didn't, so instead Jihoon all but leaps across the chair and kisses Seungcheol right on his lips.

"Yes, I would very much like to get to know you and the reason behind your horrendous passion for holidays." Is what Jihoon says when they separate, and the smile that Seungcheol gives him is more than enough to dull the fear in his heart.

 

 

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" Seungcheol murmurs next to his ears from where he has Jihoon pinned on the window, dark eyes gleaming with a burning lust but his grip is loose on Jihoon's shoulders. "Because I'm not holding back if you do."

Jihoon releases a shuddering gasp when Seungcheol mouths on his adam apple. While it is true that he wants to go slow and that they have only been official for a total of five minutes now, Jihoon could feel the heat from Seungcheol's skin, running down his skin like little crackles of flame. Taking his time be damned, Jihoon would do anything to get this beautiful man in his bed tonight. So he slots a leg between Seungcheol's and hikes it up a little to brush through the tent forming rapidly in Seungcheol's pants.

"Do _you_ want me to stop? Because I don't."

Seungcheol growls just as Jihoon pulls him in for a searing kiss. "If you would take me", he mumbles, leg persistent on Seungcheol's hard-on "I'm all yours. Just as you’re all mine, too."

The thought seems to spur Seungcheol on, as before Jihoon knows it Seungcheol has pulled him in for another kiss, deep and filthy as he swallows Jihoon's moans with hunger. His boyfriend keeps a hand to Jihoon's waist while he uses the other one to pull away the obstructing curtain. Jihoon hisses as his back makes contact with the cold glass, and it startles him from the lust induced haze just long enough to realize he is completely visible to all those curious souls outside, should there be any that wanders the street at this hour.

"C-Cheol.." He calls out weakly as Seungcheol suddenly pulls back.

"Strip for me, love." Seungcheol says, and while the tone of his voice leaves no room for objection, the little voice in Jihoon's mind screams at him to make Seungcheol fights for dominance, to make him forcibly take it from Jihoon's hands and force Jihoon into submission. Under Seungcheol's waiting stare, however, he discards the idea altogether. He could be good for Seungcheol tonight. He _wants_ to be good for Seungcheol tonight. He could be a little nightmare another time.

Jihoon quickly rids himself of the stuffy shirts and shoes. He hesitates when it comes to his pants, and he jumps when two larger hands cup his ass over the material.

"What's wrong, love? Can't take it off yourself?"

There is something predatorial about Seungcheol's gaze, one that sends shiver down Jihoon's spine and keeps cock awake despite the freezing glass behind his back. Seungcheol hooks his fingers on Jihoon's pants and pulls them down in a smooth motion, whistling amusedly when Jihoon's cock springs out.

"No underwear?"

Jihoon shifts uncomfortably, bashful at Seungcheol's undivided attention on his naked body. "The pants are too tight to wear underwear." He mumbles.

"Did you know that I was going to be at the party?" Seungcheol asks, eyes locked onto Jihoon as he leans closer to his cock.

"..No" Jihoon whimpers. Seungcheol hums, peppering kisses from Jihoon's trembling inner thighs to his v line. Jihoon sucks in a shaky breath.

"Cheol, please.."

"Please what, love?" Seungcheol muses thoughtfully, mouthing over the reddish marks on Jihoon's hips.

"Please, do it.."

"Do what, baby? Use your words."

"Pleasesuckmeoff, pleas- ah!"

Jihoon hasn't finished his sentence when Seungcheol swallows him in whole, nose almost touching Jihoon's pubic hair before he pulls back, tongue presses on the base of Jihoon's dick. Jihoon bites back a whine when Seungcheol sucks on the bulbose head. He almost cries when Seungcheol tongues the slit of his dick and releases him with an obscene pop. Jihoon steals a glance down at Seungcheol and almost chokes on thin air as Seungcheol smiles lewdly back at him.

"Enjoying the view, love?" Seungcheol hand finds Jihoon's cock and he is pumping it slowly now. Jihoon glares at him.

"Not as much as I should be, to be honest. Why are you still naked?" He grumbles with no bite in his tone, making Seungcheol look up to him in fond amusement.

"Wants to see me naked that much, love?"

Desperate to wipe the smirk off his face, Jihoon huffs and pulls the man up on his feet. With one arm loops around Seungcheol's neck and another on his pants, Jihoon yanks him in for another sloppy kiss while his other hand palms his lover's impressive hard-on through the rough denim. He fumbles to get the belt open, and as soon as he pulls Seungcheol's zipper down along with his boxer Jihoon is already on his knees, licking small stripes down Seungcheol's dick and sucking onto his ball. Seungcheol's hand flies to grab onto Jihoon's hair, and Jihoon lets him guide his head down Seungcheol's dick, making crude slurping sounds.

"You're taking me in so well, baby." Seungcheol grunts. "Sucking me off like a pro. Like your pretty little mouth is made to take my dick in, isn't it."

Jihoon preens at the compliment, relaxing his throat even further for Seungcheol to fuck up his mouth. It takes Seungcheol a few more thrusts before he pulls out, breathing heavily. Jihoon eyes his cock with unrestrained lust, leaning over to lick a long stripe up his dick, causing Seungcheol to release a slow, shuddering moan.

The hands in his hair loosen and slide down to Jihoon's shoulder, massaging the smooth span of skin. When Jihoon starts to take Seungcheol's dick in his mouth again, Seungcheol hoists him up to a standing position and turns him around to face to the window.

"Hands on the window, love. I have better plans for you than to just suck me off." Seungcheol grouses out. Jihoon quickly does what he is told, eyes trailing over Seungcheol's glorious thighs as he strides to the couch. Seungcheol rummages for his wallet before pulling out a sachet of lube and a condom.

Jihoon tries and fails to repress the piteous moan that bubbles up his throat when Seungcheol rips the sachet open and dribbles the cold lube onto his finger and the crevice of Jihoon's ass. Seungcheol places a chaste kiss on Jihoon's shoulder as he carefully breaches through Jihoon's tight ring of mucles. Jihoon clenches unconsciously around the weird sensation, and the finger in him stills almost immediately.

"Relax for me, love." Seungcheol whispers to his ears, lips showering Jihoon's skin with small licks and kisses. Jihoon wills his body to uncoil itself, nodding gingerly to Seungcheol when the stretch becomes bearable for his lover to add in a second finger. The discomfort of the second finger is somehow even worse than the first, but Seungcheol is careful in scissoring and stretching Jihoon out, adding copious amount of lube that makes everything sloppy, wet and impeccably hot at the same time. It is when Seungcheol curls his finger up that Jihoon feels it, the burns of the stretch ebbs away completely in favor of the mind-numbing pleasure that shoots up his spine. Jihoon gasps when Seungcheol fingers still on the spot, and before he knows it Jihoon is already begging and sobbing for Seungcheol to keep moving, strings of "Please, touch me there, please" spewing out of his mouth. He could feel Seungcheol pressing a smirk on his back, but all coherent thoughts left his mind when Seungcheol's fingers massaged the little bundle of nerves in consistent, circular motion. Jihoon collapses towards the window; perky nipples harden as they are pressed onto unyielding coldness. Seungcheol adds in a third finger, rendering Jihoon to a blabbering mess.

"Please, Cheol, I can't take it anymore." He sobs out, delirious from the pleasure. "I need something in me. I need your dick in me, Cheol."

Normal Jihoon would have punched himself in the face for the shamelessness and desperation he is showing. Lust-ridden Jihoon, however, is not phased by anything but the possibility of being boned to next Sunday. Seungcheol groans when Jihoon rubs his ass on Seungcheol's dick, making small little "Ah, Ah"s when the tip of his dick touches the puckering rim of his hole.

Seungcheol straightens up and slaps Jihoon's ass, marveling at how they jingle in his hands. He smears the leftover lube on his dick and guides the tip between Jihoon's trembling ass cheeks.

Jihoon lets out a moan that could but a porn star to shame when Seungcheol nudges his dick in. "Oh, fuck me, Cheol. Fuck me good, Professor!"

The little nickname that slips out is the final straw for Seungcheol, and he pushes himself in all the way with a strangled moan. Jihoon cries and slumps further onto the window, his back arches in a sensual curve that has Seungcheol's mouth water over the smooth, snowy skin. 

"You're so- big" He whispers, in awe. The stretch of Seungcheol's dick is different from everything that Jihoon has had instead of him before, in the most magical way. The burn is a pain fused with little sparks of pleasure, but Seungcheol's cock fills Jihoon up in all the right ways possible and as he clenches down, the swollen head of his dick grazes ever so slightly on Jihoon's sweet point.

When the pain finally mellows down, Jihoon tentatively wiggles his hips around, hoping his lover would get the hint. Any sign of displeasure that Jihoon has before morphs into high pitched keens as Seungcheol starts to roll his hip slowly.

"Shit," Seungcheol swears, breathless as the smoldering heat inside Jihoon wraps itself all around his dick, pulling him in every time he tries to pull out. His hands find themselves attached to Jihoon's waist, pulling the younger closer. Jihoon whimpers again, high and needy, and Seungcheol takes it as the incentive to fuck into him harder, longer, pulling out his dick almost completely before burying himself balls-deep in Jihoon's pliant body.

"C-Cheol, I c-can't... W-W-Want to- ride you" Jihoon begs around a moan, voice broken and needy and Seungcheol is a goner. Without removing himself from Jihoon's hole, Seungcheol winds his hands under Jihoon's spread legs and lifts him up, so that his back is completely flushed against Seungcheol's chest. He stops for a moment to admire their blurry reflection on the window pane.

"Look at you, love." Seungcheol rasps. "Look at how your greedy hole is swallowing my dick like that. You a such a little slut, do you know what?" He bounces Jihoon on his dick with every sentence, revels in the choked moan and the bright flush on Jihoon's cheeks. "Are you embarrassed, love? Think about it, anyone who walks by now could see you like this, spreading your beautiful legs for me, begging for my dick. Your little hole is tightening around me, you like being looked at, don't you?"

Jihoon's mind swims with each dirty words Seungcheol growls to his ears. His whole body flushes, and he couldn't help the tiny, desperate sounds that escape his throat when Seungcheol bounces him on his dick. The new angle makes Seungcheol's cock goes in all the way, a new delicious kind of stretch and pleasure Jihoon has been looking for, and the younger mewls when Seungcheol finally sits down. His lover lies down on the couch, long limbs spread out like an erotic painting.

"You want to ride me, right? Well, go for it then."

Jihoon bites his lips, braces his hands on Seungcheol's broad chest and starts the bounce on his lover's dick. When he looks at his lover, Seungcheol's face is scrunched up in concentration, beads of sweats dripping down the side of his face. Jihoon bends down to claim his lips, eating up the little groans falling freely from Seungcheol's mouth. Riding Seungcheol gives his a burst of power and energy, and Jihoon focuses on bouncing himself harder and faster on Seungcheol's dick. There is a familiar tightness in his balls, accompanied with a simmering heat below his stomach and Jihoon perches himself even higher, dropping down on Seungcheol's dick with greater strength to chase after his high.

He keens when Seungcheol suddenly snaps his hips up, meeting his thrust half-way, the tip of his dick jabbing mercilessly into Jihoon's prostate. His body writhes under the onslaught of pleasure, thighs quivering until Jihoon loses all his strength and relies only on Seungcheol's hand to bounce him up and down.

"I-I'm going to c-cum" Jihoon manages to say between heavy gasps, body tingling with the impending orgasm. Seungcheol growls a clipped "Me too.", and Jihoon howls when large, callous hand wraps itself around his dick and starts tugging incessantly.

Jihoon comes first, spilling his load screaming Seungcheol's name over and over like a mantra. He flops onto Seungcheol's body tiredly, whining in sensitivity as Seungcheol continues to fuck up to him in frantic, sharp thrusts. Jihoon whines and clenches his hole, effectively throwing Seungcheol off-guard and his lover bucks up for the last time, milking himself dry inside Jihoon. Seungcheol pulls out with an unholy squelch, tying off the condom and throwing it right into Jihoon's rubbish bin. He proceeds to clean Jihoon to the best of his ability with paper wipes and a bottle of water until every inch of his body is clean and dry. Jihoon makes grabby hands at him, and Seungcheol dutifully picks him up with an indulgent smile. They end up snuggling on Jihoon's bed, tired but content.

"Good night, Cheol." Jihoon mumbles, body melting in exhaustion on the soft mattress. There's a rustle of blankets before Jihoon could feel a fleeting kiss on his forehead and the two warm, solid arms that wrap themselves securely around his waist. Seungcheol's soft murmurs of 'Goodnight, love' floats to his ears, and Jihoon thinks this could be the simple love he has been looking for in his whole life.

**Author's Note:**

> (And they totally would have sex in one of the huge gift boxes Seungcheol erected on his front yard in broad daylight)


End file.
